Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Moncef Boukthir called for removing obstacles to the movement of students, professors, researchers and officials involved in international academic and research projects. Taking the floor at the International Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels on "Multilateral Dialogue on Principles and Values of Interenaitonal Cooperation in terms of research and Innovation," the minister further pointed out that Tunisia seeks to implement an action plan and a code of conduct for the fair movement of knowkledge, people and ideas, so as to add a practical aspect to the Ministerial Statement on principles and values for international cooperation in research and innovation (Brussels Statement), reads a ministry press relase. Held on February 15-16 in Brussels, the meeting offered the opportunity to discuss the principles and values to govern the scientifc and technological cooperation at the glocal level, so as to guarantee the academic freedoms, safety of the researchers and preservation of sientific ethics. Tunisia has excellent partnerships in the research and innovation fields with the major international players, including the European Union, as Tunisia is the only Arab and African country to have obtained the partnership status in the Horizon 2020 Programme and to renew its partnership through the current "Horizon Europe" prgramme, that runs till 2027 with a competitive budget of pound 95 billion, the minister added. Boukthir further indicated that Tunisia's participation in these programmes has helped step up the participation of Tunisian researchers and research structures in international networks of excellence and to carry out a large number of projects in line with national research priorities. The minister also pointed out Tunisia's ambition to become a partner in the "Erasmus Erasmus+" programme in line with the new dynamic in Tunisia's relations with the EU, crowned by the inking of a memorundum of understanding for a strategic and comprehensive partnership on July 16, 2023. Tunisia supports the fair sharing of knowledge, he underlined, urging that priority be given to improving the developing countries' capability to make effective use of this knowledge, in tandem with the exploitation of research results. The Belgian Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Union organised the international Ministerial meeting in Brussels with the participation of delegations from over 40 countries and several international organisations. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse